Bennie Ellender
 Ellender pictured in Jambalaya 1976, Tulane yearbook | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 2, 1925 Sulphur, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | December 22, 2011 (aged 86) Metairie, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1943–1944; 1946–1947 | Tulane |
| Position(s) | Quarterback, safety |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1959 | Tulane (freshmen) |
| 1960–1961 | Tulane (OB) |
| 1962 | Arkansas State (DB) |
| 1963–1970 | Arkansas State |
| 1971–1975 | Tulane |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 79–49–4 |
| Bowls | 2–2 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1 NCAA College Division (1970) 3 Southland (1968–1970) | |
| Awards | |
| AFCA College Division Coach of the Year (1970) | |
Bennie Ellender Jr. (March 2, 1925 – December 22, 2011)[1][2] was an American football player and coach.[3] He served as the head football coach at Arkansas State University from 1963 to 1970 and at Tulane University from 1971 to 1975, compiling a career college football record of 79–49–4.
Ellender led the Arkansas State program to three consecutive Pecan Bowl games, which was one of the regional bowl games set up for the NCAA College Division to choose a champion. His 1970 team finished 11–0 and was ranked #1 in the final polls, earning his team the College Division championship. Ellender was selected AFCA College Division Coach of the Year following the season.[4] After the 1970 season, Ellender left ASU to become head football coach at his alma mater, Tulane.
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas State Indians (NCAA College Division independent) (1963) | |||||||||
| 1963 | Arkansas State | 2–6 | |||||||
| Arkansas State Indians (Southland Conference) (1964–1970) | |||||||||
| 1964 | Arkansas State | 7–0–2 | 2–0–2 | 2nd | 15 | ||||
| 1965 | Arkansas State | 6–3 | 1–3 | 5th | |||||
| 1966 | Arkansas State | 7–2 | 2–2 | T–3rd | 11 | 6 | |||
| 1967 | Arkansas State | 4–5 | 2–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1968 | Arkansas State | 7–3–1 | 3–0–1 | 1st | L Pecan | 14 | 15 | ||
| 1969 | Arkansas State | 8–1–1 | 4–0 | 1st | W Pecan | 5 | 7 | ||
| 1970 | Arkansas State | 11–0 | 4–0 | 1st | W Pecan | 1 | 1 | ||
| Arkansas State: | 52–20–4 | 18–7–3 | |||||||
| Tulane Green Wave (NCAA University Division / Division I independent) (1971–1975) | |||||||||
| 1971 | Tulane | 3–8 | |||||||
| 1972 | Tulane | 6–5 | |||||||
| 1973 | Tulane | 9–3 | L Astro-Bluebonnet | 15 | 20 | ||||
| 1974 | Tulane | 5–6 | |||||||
| 1975 | Tulane | 4–7 | |||||||
| Tulane: | 27–29 | ||||||||
| Total: | 79–49–4 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
| |||||||||
References
- ^ "Bennie Ellender Obituary".
- ^ "Former Tulane football player, coach Bennie Ellender dies at age 86". Archived from the original on February 3, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Former Arkansas State, Tulane Coach Dies - KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana". Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
- ^ AFCA Coach of the Year | Coach and Athletic Director | Find Articles at BNET.com